Right I have a trail bike. Can I just ride anywhere off road?

Right I have a trail bike. Can I just ride anywhere off road?

Trail riding in England in Wales is an immensely rewarding countryside pursuit, bringing adventure and exploration together with technical riding skills, orienteering and land access knowledge.

It is enjoyed in sunshine, wind, rain and snow throughout the year in some of the countries most striking landscapes, from the wild moorlands of Northumberland, over the rocky mountains of North Wales to the flat farm plains of Lincolnshire and down to the furthest reaches of Devon and Cornwall.
However, just because you own a trail bike doesn’t mean you can ride anywhere you like. In fact, responsible trail riders technically never ride ‘off road’ as the trails and green lanes we use are actually classified as Byways Open To All Traffic (BOATS) or Unclassified Country Roads (UCR’s). Access to these historic legal lanes is under scrutiny by national and regional government organisations as well as land-owners and the wider countryside population.
There are 208,000, miles of road in England and Wales, 115,000 miles of footpaths, bridleways and restricted byways, and 6,000 miles of BOATs. The TRF exists to help preserve access to these historic BOATs by working with (and sometimes lobbying against) lawmakers as well as helping new and existing members learn where they can and can’t ride (and why), promoting a confident and responsible code of conduct that ensures all countryside users are able to enjoy our diverse landscape well into the future.
Can’t tell your BOAT from your UCR? Your local TRF group can help.

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